Media platform operating an interactive media distribution process

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented system and method is disclosed. The system or method provides a platform to enable a community of users to compete against each other in an effort to acquire certain assets. Each Asset has a value. The platform converts the asset value to the lowest common metric or point system, a.k.a digital currency. The currency can be used to buy, sell or trade Assets between users. Users can measure their net worth, in currency, against other users. Currency can be used to purchase merchandise from retailers, brands or Publishers. The platform has an inter-game communication and messaging platform.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The current application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Provisional application for patent No. 61/330,243, which was filed onMar. 16, 2011, entitled “Media Platform Operating An Interactive MediaDistribution Process,” the entire disclosures of which is incorporatedby reference herein.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to an interactive game that is playedwith a mobile device and employing augmented reality.

SUMMARY

In general, this document discloses a three dimensional interactivedigital process and media platform (the “Platform”). In one example theprocess may be implemented as a game that may facilitate the delivery ofmarketing or other informational messages. Other embodiments arecontemplated within the scope of this disclosure. The system enables aSponsor to quickly develop and implement a marketing campaign thatinvokes specific User actions and behaviors, and is cost effective,scalable, and verifiable.

When operated as a game, the Platform enables a community of users tocompete against each other in an effort to acquire certain assets(“Assets”). Each Asset has a value. The Platform converts the Assetvalue to the lowest common metric or point system (“Currency”) a.k.adigital currency. The Currency can be used to buy, sell or trade Assetsbetween users. Users can measure their net worth, in Currency, againstother users. Currency can be used to purchase merchandise fromretailers, brands or Publishers. The Platform has an inter-gamecommunication and messaging platform.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features and advantages willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects will now be described in detail with referenceto the following drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for playing an interactive game as describedherein.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for playing an interactive game asdescribed herein.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This document describes a three dimensional interactive digital processand media platform (the “Platform”). The following is a list ofcomponents of the platform.

Assets:

A user finds and collects various “Assets” during the course ofoperating the game. Often, the Asset will be at a physical location thatrequires to the user to move to that location, and take a digitalpicture of it to prove they “earned” the Asset. As described below,other conditions may apply to successfully acquiring the Asset. SomeAssets may be acquired only once by one User, while others may becollected repeatedly and by many users.

Additionally, each Asset has a has a metric value referred to as a CostPer Engagement (“CPE”) and Cost Per Acquisition (“CPA”). CPE and CPAvalue are based on industry standard advertising costs for impressions,clicks and other advertising measurement metrics.

Assets are generally electronic or digital images, 3D digital objects orimages, animated electronic or digital images or other digital andnon-digital media content. Each Asset has an assigned value. Asset valueis based on predetermined criteria including,

i. limited production or availability of the Asset

ii. accessibility or Location of the Asset

iii. value of the Media used to access the Asset

iv. value of the Media used to alert people about the Location of theAsset

v. degree of difficulty of a Challenge required learn the Location ofthe Asset

vi. degree of difficulty of a Challenge required to engage and acquirethe Asset

Currency:

Using the lowest common metric or point system (“Currency”) each Assetis assigned a value. For example, Asset values may be determined basedon a weighted scaled from 1-10. One (1) being low value and (10) beingthe highest value. The Publisher (Disney, Nickelodeon) or game operatordetermines the weighting scale or value of each Asset. Weighting may bestatic or dynamic, and may be set responsive to the progress of theoverall game. For example, if a retailer is trying to get customers to aparticular store, the Asset reward for visiting that store may beincreased if traffic targets are not being met.

There are two metric value systems within the Platform:

User Metric Value:

When the User acquires an Asset the Platform converts the Asset value tothe lowest common metric, point system or unit (“Currency”). TheCurrency can be used to purchase merchandise from retailers, brandsand/or Publishers. The Currency has a direct and dynamic relationship tothe U.S. dollar. For example: If a User acquires two (2) Assets worth 10points each, than the User has twenty (20) points or units of Currency.The Platform dynamically converts the Currency to a U.S. dollar value.If at any given time one Currency unit is equal to $2.00 US then, inthis scenario, the User has Forty Dollars ($40.00 US) to spend onmerchandise. It will be understood that other basis may be used forvaluation and redemption.

Media Metric Value:

Using the lowest common metric, point system or unit the Location,Challenge, Key, Media and Asset all have a metric value or cost. Thevalue or cost is determined by whether the Location, Challenge, Key,Media and Asset is engaged and/or acquired. The values are referred toas Cost Per Engagement (CPE) or Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). A CPE and/orCPA value is attached to each Location, Challenge, Key, Media and Asset.Using the Platforms algorithmic synthesizer the Publisher selects ordetermines the CPE and CPA value Location, Challenge, Key, Media andAsset. The Platform converts the CPE and/or CPA value to US dollars. Ifan advertiser/brand/sponsor wishes to spend $500,000 to sponsor the“Celebrity” game by JeetleJack™. The advertiser can elect to manuallyallocate their advertising budget by CPE/CPA value, Location, Challenge,Key, Media and Asset or any combination. Or, the Advertiser can allowthe Platform distribute/allocate the funds by using its proprietarymedia budgeting algorithm.

Revenue Sharing:

Predetermined percentages of advertising revenues generated fromsponsors will be paid out to the each Publisher and or licensed property(such as a celebrity or other person).

An advertiser or game Sponsor may select from one or more existing gameswith which to integrate, or may initiate a new game dedicated for aselected purpose. For example, if there is an on-going game directed toextreme sporting activities and clothes, a pizza delivery company maychoose to add Assets into that game, or may select an on-going game withmore of a food focus. Of course, for sufficient investment, the companymay want its own game.

Challenge:

Users may be required to perform a task, game or function (a“Challenge”) in order to learn the Location of an Asset. Once the userhas moved to the Asset Location, and taken its picture, the User may berequired to perform a Challenge in order to engage or acquire an Asset.Each Challenge may have a metric value based on the degree ofdifficulty, and the value may be selectable by the user, set by the gameoperator, or set responsive to the game progress. For example, if achallenge is proving to be particularly difficult, the value of thatchallenge may be dynamically increased. In addition, using the lowestcommon metric or point system each Challenge has a metric value or CPEand CPA. For example, CPE and CPA values may be determined based on aweighted scaled from 1-10. One (1) being low value and (10) being thehighest value. The Publisher (Disney, Nickelodeon) or game operatordetermines the CPE and CPA of each Challenge. Challenge values are basedon the number of people traffic, eyeballs, accessibility, degree ofdifficulty, proximity and industry standard advertising costs forimpressions, clicks and other advertising measurement metrics.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for playing an interactive game asdescribed herein.

Location:

A Location is a place, event, concert, retail store, billboard, book,magazine, geographic area or other digital and non-digital Media. Usingthe lowest common metric or point system each Location has a metricvalue or CPE and CPA. For example, CPE and CPA values may be determinedbased on a weighted scaled from 1-10. One (1) being low value and (10)being the highest value. The Publisher (Disney, Nickelodeon) or gameoperator determines the CPE and CPA of each Location. Location valuesare based on the number of people traffic, vehicle traffic, eyeballs,real estate values, accessibility, proximity and industry standardadvertising costs for impressions, clicks and other advertisingmeasurement metrics.

Media:

Media refers to various means of communication. For example, print,billboards, television, radio, internet, mobile phone, newspaper, socialnetworking sites. All Media is assigned a CPE and CPA value. Forexample, Media values are determined based on a weighted scaled from1-10. One (1) being low value and (10) being the highest value. ThePublisher or game operator determines the CPE value of all Media. Mediavalues are based on industry standard advertising costs for impressions,clicks and other advertising measurement metrics.

Reward:

Users may receive rewards based upon successful collection of Assets,and is most easily associated with reaching one or more currency goals.The Reward may be, for example, a product, a discount, a media file, acoupon, or entrance to an event. It will be understood that the Rewardmay take many forms. Each Reward has a metric value.

Device 102:

A Device is a personal digital camera, digital video recorder, computer,mobile Device, or other digital consumer or personal electronic Device.The Device must provide for communication on an area network. The Devicealso preferably has a sensor-receiver, gyrometer, accelerometer, and insome cases GPS or Location Based Services (LBS). After thesensor-Receiver acquires an image, known object recognition processesare operated to identify the Key. These processes may be run locally,run remotely, or by a combination of both local and remote operations.Identification can be assisted by the Device's understanding of itsposition and tilt, which can be used by algorithmic processes toidentify objects, even when viewed from an angle.

Receiver:

The sensor-Receiver can be a digital imager, picture camera, videocamera, audio receiver, audio microphone, sound recorder, scanner, orimage viewer. The sensor-Receiver is a device used to engage a Key forthe purpose of extracting the Asset.

Key:

A Key is a material object, digital image, physical picture, painting,billboard or other. The Key can be available on both digital Media andnon-digital Media. The Key is placed in a strategic Location. Each Keyhas a unique ID, like a thumb print, which is determined and pre-storedin the game. A user operates the Device and Receiver to acquire apicture, scan, or sound from the Key. The acquired file is analyzed,either locally or remotely, to determine the “unique ID” for the object.The determined ID is compared to the predetermined IDs, and the systemmay determine which Key is captured, if any. Additional measures may betaken to authenticate a Key. For example, the Key may have a visibledynamic code or timestamp that the system can use to assure that theDevice is present in the Location. GPS or other location information mayalso be used to assure fair play. If the Key is authenticated, then theKey will unlock the Asset, and make it available to the User. Forexample, the Asset may be viewed through the Device media screen, andthe User can interact with the Asset, possibly to acquire additionalpoints, or to learn some next step in the game.

Mobile Client 104:

The Mobile Client is a software application that is downloaded orembedded into the Device. The Mobile Client extracts, transforms andloads Data received from the Key, Asset, Receiver, Device and Server.The Mobile Client enables the Device and Server to communicate andexchange Data. Users can use the Mobile Client to view and manipulateData, Assets and Currency; measure Asset value(s), compare accruedCurrency against other Users; or, engage other Users to view, trade, buyor sell Assets.

PC Client 108:

The PC Client is a software application that is downloaded or embeddedinto a personal computer. The PC Client extracts, transforms and loadsData to and from the Server. Users can use the PC Client to view andmanipulate Data, Assets and Currency; measure Asset value(s), compareaccrued Currency against other Users; or, engage other Users to view,trade, buy or sell Assets.

Server 110:

The Server is a computer or set of computers in a network that isdedicated to database storage and retrieval. The Server is connectedwith the database management Platform and all databases 112, eitherdirectly or through communication network 106. Upon requests from the PCClient and Mobile Client the Server queries the database for selectedrecords and returns relevant information. The Server extracts,transforms and loads Data received from the Device, Mobile Client and PCClient via communications network 106. The Server enables the Device tocommunicate and exchange Data between the Mobile Client and PC Client.

Data:

Data includes any electronic event information and user behaviorinformation extracted from the Device, Receiver, Mobile Client, PCClient, Server, Key and Asset. Data can include, without limitation:

-   -   Duration and frequency that a Key and Asset is engaged and/or        opened by the Device Receiver.    -   Duration and frequency that a PC Client or Mobile Client is        opened.    -   All Currency levels and activity.    -   Number of times an Asset is acquired by the Device, Receiver and        Mobile Client.    -   All electronic event information exchanged between the Device,        Receiver, Mobile Client, PC Client, Key, Asset and Server.    -   Duration and frequency of the time Device, Receiver, Mobile        Client, PC Client, Key, Asset and Server is in use.    -   Individual and aggregate Asset values

Users:

Individual participants or players in the Platform.

Gyrometer:

The Gyrometer measures the oscillation, spin and rotation of the Deviceenabling the User to manipulate the Asset and its relationship with theDevice by physically moving and adjusting the position of the Device.

Accelerometer:

The Accelerometer measures the acceleration of the Device enabling theUser to manipulate the Asset and its relationship with the Device by thespeed in which the physically move or adjust the position of the Device.

Sponsors:

Any brand-associated location, merchant, or commercial entity.

GPS:

The Device may have a location based system, such as GPS, to providelocation information. The location information may be used to confirmthe authenticity of an Asset capture, or to confirm to the game ownerthat a particular user was at a Location, or to vector the Device andReceiver relationship to the key and to calculate and manipulate theassets. This enables the Device's screen to present the Asset inrelation to the environment, and to allow the user to move the Device totrack and manipulate the Asset position using the screen.

Limited Use Key (LUK):

Key Authentication and Fraud Protection. LUKs are Keys that have apredetermined number of uses. For example: A User may be required topurchase merchandise or perform a task in order to acquire, own, use oraccess a LUK. If a LUK has a one-time use limit—it can only be engagedonce; as such, the Asset can only be acquired one time. Once the LUK'sAsset is acquired the Platform will acknowledge its intended one timeuse limitation and terminate any further use of that LUK. Security,protection and authentication of it use is essential to the integrity ofthe Platform and to maintaining the value of the Asset.

A LUK may be packaged in a tamper-resistant or tamper-evident container(“Container”). If the Container is opened either inadvertently or as aresult of fraud the Container will provide evidence that it has beencompromised. If a Container is compromised it is likely the LUK will becompromised as well, rendering the LUK useless. Therefore, in order toconfirm a User's right to acquire, own, use, engage or access a LUK theUser might be required to perform an electronic or manual task. Thistask is known as the Authentication process.

A Container may incorporate a physical tamper-evident locking mechanism.The locking mechanism may be a plastic breakaway lock, scratch card,metal latch, one-way hinge or another type of mechanical device. AContainer and/or LUK may require a PIN or unique User ID toAuthenticate. A Container and/or LUK may require a receipt or proof ofmerchandise purchase to Authenticate. A Container and/or LUK may renderitself inoperable if compromised. A Container and/or LUK may incorporatea microchip and/or a pass-protected encrypted data transmission processto Authenticate. A Container and/or LUK may be required to synch with aPoint of Sale (POS) system via an electronic encrypted data transmissionor a physical connection for Authentication.

A Container and/or LUK may be digitally or manual Authenticated bysynching with a Device, the Platform, WEB, a middleware component,computer and/or other digital or non-digital means. The Authenticationprocess may be digitally transmitted via RFID, Bluetooth, WIFI, NFC,Audio Signal, and/or other communication networks including a local areanetwork (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.Cryptographic signatures often referred to as electronic signatures maybe used for Authentication.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method 200 for playing an interactive game asdescribed herein.

Step #1 (202):

Users down load the Mobile Client to their Device. Users down load thePC Client to their personal computer.

Step #2 (204):

Users are notified of the time, date, Location, Media, accessibility andavailability of certain Keys. Users are notified about availability andLocation of Keys through Twitter, Facebook, Internet, TV, Radio, Printand or other forms of digital and non-digital Media. USERS may berequired perform/win a Challenge to learn the time, date, Media andLocation of certain Keys.

Step #3 (206):

Users will seek out Keys. When a Key is located it can be unlocked bypointing the Receiver and Device towards the Key. (proximity of theDevice to the Key is a factor) When the Receiver and Device establish afix on the Key the Key is unlocked. Once the Key is unlocked theReceiver, Device and Mobile Client will interactively engage the Asset.As long as the Device and Receiver maintains a fix on the Key the Assetmay interactively engage the Device. Users can manipulate the angle(GYROMETER) and movement (ACCELEROMETER) and position (GPS andTriangulation) of the Device and Receiver to engage, interact,manipulate and ultimately acquire the Asset. Note: when the Receiverengages the Key and unlocks Asset the Asset can be viewed through theDevice media screen. Users may be required to perform/win a Challenge toacquire the Asset.

Step #4 (208):

Users can view and manage Currency and Assets by using the PC Client andMobile Client. The Currency can be used to buy, sell or trade Assetsbetween users. Users can measure their net worth in Currency againstother users. Currency can be used to purchase merchandise from retailersand brands.

Some or all of the functional operations described in this specificationcan be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computersoftware, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed inthis specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinationsof them. Embodiments of the invention can be implemented as one or morecomputer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer programinstructions encoded on a computer readable medium, e.g., a machinereadable storage device, a machine readable storage medium, a memorydevice, or a machine-readable propagated signal, for execution by, or tocontrol the operation of, data processing apparatus.

The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices,and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers.The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates anexecution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., codethat constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, or a combination of them. Apropagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g., amachine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, thatis generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiverapparatus.

A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, anapplication, a software application, a script, or code) can be writtenin any form of programming language, including compiled or interpretedlanguages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unitsuitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does notnecessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can bestored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g.,one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a singlefile dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinatedfiles (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, orportions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed onone computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site ordistributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communicationnetwork.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to, a communication interface toreceive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storagedevices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, oroptical disks.

Moreover, a computer can be embedded in another device, e.g., a mobiletelephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio player, aGlobal Positioning System (GPS) receiver, to name just a few.Information carriers suitable for embodying computer programinstructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory,including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM,EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal harddisks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROMdisks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the invention canbe implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT(cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, fordisplaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device,e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to thecomputer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interactionwith a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can beany form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback,or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in anyform, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

Embodiments of the invention can be implemented in a computing systemthat includes a back end component, e.g., as a data server, or thatincludes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or thatincludes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having agraphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user caninteract with an implementation of the invention, or any combination ofsuch back end, middleware, or front end components. The components ofthe system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital datacommunication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communicationnetworks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network(“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

Certain features which, for clarity, are described in this specificationin the context of separate implementations, may also be provided incombination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which,for brevity, are described in the context of a single implementation,may also be provided in multiple embodiments separately or in anysuitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be describedabove as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed assuch, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some casesbe excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may bedirected to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Particular embodiments of the invention have been described. Otherembodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example,the steps recited in the claims can be performed in a different orderand still achieve desirable results. In addition, embodiments of theinvention are not limited to database architectures that are relational;for example, the invention can be implemented to provide indexing andarchiving methods and systems for databases built on models other thanthe relational model, e.g., navigational databases or object orienteddatabases, and for databases having records with complex attributestructures, e.g., object oriented programming objects or markup languagedocuments. The processes described may be implemented by applicationsspecifically performing archiving and retrieval functions or embeddedwithin other applications.

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: notifying, by a servercomputer via a communications network, a plurality of mobile devices ofa time, a date, a location, a set of assets, and a set of keys;receiving, from at least one mobile device, data representing anengagement of the at least one mobile device with a real-world physicalobject represented by at least one of the set of assets; generating, bythe server computer, a value for the engagement; and accumulating, bythe server computer, the value with a user score associated with the atleast one mobile device.
 2. A system comprising: a plurality of mobiledevices connected with a communications network; and a server computerthat notifies, via the communications network, the plurality of mobiledevices of a time, a date, a location, a set of assets, and a set ofkeys, the server computer further configured to receive datarepresenting an engagement of the at least one mobile device with areal-world physical object represented by at least one of the set ofassets, generate a value for the engagement, and accumulate the valuewith a user score associated with the at least one mobile device.